Artruk, a Twi'lek male, made his home on the planet Ryloth during the era known as the Clone Wars. Back in 22 BBY, Artruk took a job from Separatist Council representative Passel Argente, which involved concealing secret items that Argente had obtained from Christophsis. They convened in Lessu, the capital of Ryloth, where Argente showed Artruk the items. Argente then tasked the Twi'lek with storing them safely in a city warehouse. During their discussion, Cham Syndulla and Voyla, two other Twi'leks, secretly watched Artruk and Argente. They realized that the war might soon affect Ryloth after they noticed Confederate battle droids. However, Wat Tambor of the Separatist Council and the tactical droid TA-175 were also observing Artruk and Argente using a hologram. After overhearing Artruk's comments about the hidden treasures on Ryloth, Tambor informed his droid that an invasion of Ryloth was imminent.
Artruk, a male of the Twi'lek species, resided on the planet called Ryloth. In the year 22 BBY, amidst the Clone Wars, Artruk entered into an agreement presented by Magistrate Passel Argente, a member of the Separatist Council. Argente's desire was for the Twi'lek to hide away some clandestine objects he had come by from the world of Christophsis. The pair arranged a rendezvous in Lessu, the capital city of Ryloth, where the Magistrate revealed the items to Artruk. Upon Argente's request to keep the items confined in a secure location, the Twi'lek acknowledged and proceeded to transport the valuables to a nearby loading cart, soon to be inspected by two pit droids.
Using a datapad, Artruk figured out the sum of credits Argente needed to give him. After Artruk remarked to Argente that it appeared to be a "profitable month" for him, the Twi'lek divulged information about the items in a loud manner, even though Argente had asked for discretion. Irritated by the Twi'lek's actions, Argente told Artruk he was only going to pay him to remove any trace connecting him to the items. During this discussion, two Twi'leks—Cham Syndulla and Voyla—noticed Artruk and Argente in the warehouse. The pair secretly observed them from the ceiling support beams of the warehouse, and they noticed Confederate battle droids in the vicinity of Artruk and Argente, which led them to believe the Clone Wars might be coming to Ryloth.
However, they weren't the sole observers of Artruk and Argente. Emir Wat Tambor, a member of the Separatist Council, along with tactical droid TA-175, monitored both Artruk and Argente via hologram. Upon hearing Artruk talk about his hidden treasures on Ryloth, Tambor inquired of TA-175 if Ryloth was among their targeted worlds; the droid revealed that it was "target number seventy-nine." Following this, Tambor instructed the droid to mobilize their troopers and elevate Ryloth's priority number from seventy-nine to the top spot. With Tambor's command, the Confederacy invaded Ryloth and put up a blockade all around the planet.
Artruk's sole ambition was to provide assistance to those who possessed wealth, and Voyla referred to him as a "fat leech." When Argente contracted him, the Twi'lek readily agreed to assist the Magistrate and met him in Lessu, the capital of Ryloth, which Artruk fondly called the "city of riches." Upon Argente's wish to conceal his items in a secure location, Artruk boasted that his warehouses were the most secure in the Outer Rim. Artruk also specialized in discretion, which pleased Argente. Despite his promises of anonymity, the Twi'lek loudly revealed the origins of the items, which angered Argente. Artruk had green skin.
Artruk's initial appearance was in The Clone Wars: Covetous, a six-page online comic featured in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars webcomic series, which directly preceded "Storm Over Ryloth," the nineteenth episode of Season One of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.